Creating a brain booster for older people

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has granted $300,000 to Siew-Young Quek to lead a three-year project creating a new nutrient for older people.

A Professor of Food Science, Quek and Associate Professor of Engineering Meng Wai Woo aim to formulate a new 'superfood' ingredient from nervonic acid and phospholipids, to try to maximise their absorption.

Research indicates the health benefits of nervonic acid include protecting nerves, boosting brain health, and improving cognitive function, while phospholipids support brain health and metabolism, says Quek.

The new ingredient could be added to foods or used in supplements.

“We want to create a natural, easily digestible ingredient that could help older people stay sharp mentally.

“There are lots of products for children’s nutrition, but older people’s nutrition hasn’t had the same focus, so it is essential to do something for this group,” she says.

Quek is working with long-time collaborators, the Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in China, which will provide nervonic acid extracted from the seeds of various plants that grow in China.

Phospholipids are extracted from soy lecithin and will be sourced within New Zealand.

Quek hopes to collaborate with a New Zealand company, which is already producing pureed foods for older people, to create a new range of brain-boosting products.

The researchers will examine how easily the new product is digested and whether it will pass the taste test.

“The population of older people is increasing rapidly in New Zealand and globally, so there’s growing demand for specialised nutrition for the elderly.

“Ultimately, we hope this new ingredient will improve older people’s quality of life,” says Quek.